Storage battery.



W. GARDINER & J. STIRLEN.

STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 11, 1909.

Patented June 29, 1909.

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Witnesses klgmw )tgi 111,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STIRLEN AND WILLIAM GARDINER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MISSOURI ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MIS- SOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

STORAGE BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application filed February 11, 1909. Serial No. 477,422.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN STIRLEN and WILLIAM GARDINER, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in D which Figure 1 is a erspective view of our improved storage attery; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof on the line 22, Fig. 1 3 is a fragmentary section-a1 view illus- 5 trating one of the transverse supporting ribs or bridges in the bottom of the casing, showing also the lower end of one-of the spacing bars; and Fig. 4 is a View of one of the spacing bars.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in storage batteries.

The object of our invention is to provide a storage battery which is strong and easily manufactured and in which the grids or plates are firml supported in proper osition above the bottom of the casing o the battery, whereby particles of the active material which may se arate and fall from said grids or plates will di'op to the bottom of the casing and short-circuiting is thereby avoided; in which the said grids or plates are prevented from bulging at their intermedlate portions, thus obviating known defects in storage batteries now on the market; in

which the covers for the several compartments ofthe casing in which the said grids or plates are contained are prevented from sagging. at their centers; and in which, by the provision of suitable means, the electrolyte in one compartment or-cell of the battery is prevented from overflowin into another compartment or cell of the Imttery or over the-entire surface of the battery; and to improve generally upon batteries of thekind described.

With these objects in view, our invention consists in the novel construction of the sev-' 'eral parts of our battery and in the novel arrangement and combination-of the same, all

as will hereinafter be described and pointed out in-the claims.

In the drawings, '1 indicates the casing of the battery, which is preferably made of hard rubber and is preferably of rectangular 'vention.

shape, casing 1 being divided into compartments by partitions 2 preferably integral therewith. \IVhile it is to be understood that the casing 1 may be divided into any number of compartments by partitions 2, depending upon the size of easing 1, we have shown but two partitions 2, dividing casing 1 into compartments A, B, and O, in which compartments the grids or plates 3 and electrolyte are adapted to be received.

The grids or plates 3 may be of any approved construction and are shown in dotted i-nes in Fig. 2, as they form no part of this in- In each compartment of the casing 1, as is usual, there are preferably three grids or lates, the positive grid a and a negative gri b on each side of said positive grid,

the said grids of said several compartments being suitably electrically connected and the projecting positive and negative poles of the attery being indicated at a and 1), respectively.

4 indicates a rib or bridge-extending transversely across the bottom of each said compartment, there being preferably two such ribs or bridges in each said compartment. The said grids or plates 3 rest u on and are supported above the bottom of said compartments by said ribs or bridges 4. A space in each said compartment below said grids is thus provided, so that should any of the active material dro from said grids into said compartments, s ort-circuiting will not oc- '5 indicates what We-term the s acing bars,

each of said 'bars =being bifurcate one end, as at '6, and having a reduced portion 7 and orplate 3 in each compartment-and serve'as spacers therebetween, for obvious purposes,

and also prevent the said grids or plates bulging outwardly'at their-intermediate portions, at the same time the flow of the electrolyte not being impeded, the bifurcated end 6 of each bar 5 straddling and being firmly mounted upon said'ribs or bridges 4 in the bottomof eachsaid compartment. -By this construction there is little liability of said grids or lates contacting with one another,

thereby engthen'ing the life of the battery.

-8 indicates covers or-tops which are adaptbars 5, said covers 8 being adapted to rest upon said shoulders 7 of said bars 5, whereby said covers are firmly supported in said compartments above said grids or plates 3 and are also prevented from saggin or bulging inwardly, at the same time sai bars 5 also serving to support said grids or plates 3 in proper position in said compartments. Each of said covers 8 is rovided with a screwthreaded o ening W ich receives a threaded sleeve 9, W ich is adapted to be closed by a threaded lug 10, through which sleeves 9 the electro yte or active fluid used in the battery is adapted to be placed in said compartments.

12 indicates a coatin or layer of wax, or

other suitable material y which the open or top side of said casing is adapted to be sealed, said wax, or other suitable material being placed over said covers 8 and around said sleeves 9 while soft and allowed to harden, see particularly Figs. 1 and 2.

11 indicates a frame, preferably of hard rubber or other suitable material, which is adapted to rest u )on said sealing material 12 and surround sai sleeve 9, the upper surface of said frame 11 being preferably flush with the top of the sides of said casing. A frame 1 1 is adapted to be placed around each sleeve 9 of eac compartment, and the same are preferably placed in lposition while said sealmg material 12 is so t, whereby said sealin material, in hardening, serves also to hol said frames in osition. The said frames 11, as shown in ig. 1, thus surrounding said sleeves 9, rovide a basin or concavity around eac thereof, whereby any of the electrolyte which might gas or boil up through the sleeve 9 of one compartment 1s prevented from overflowing into the other compartments of the casing or on to the surface upon which said casing is su ported. This is a distinct advantage in our battery, for the electrolyte in the several respective compartments of said casing, which might be in said several respective compartments in different chemical conditions, or states of decomposition, is thus prevented from'mixing.

By the above construction, we provide a storage battery which is strong and durable and which fully accomplishes the objects before stated.

We are aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts of our battery mi ht be made and' substituted for those erein shown and described without departing from the nature and spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. A storage-battery comprising a boxshapcd receptacle, a removab e cover for one side of said receptacle, a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom 01' said receptacle,

battery-members in said receptacle resting on said ribs, and bars between said batterymembers adapted to support the same in proper position in said receptacle and prevent said members bulging at their intermediate portions, one end of each of said bars being iirmly mounted on the bottom of 'said receptacle; substantially as described.

2. In a storage battery, the combination with a casing provided with compartments, of a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom of each of said compartments, battery-elements in each of said compartments resting on said ribs, spacing bars in each of said compartments between said battery-elmnents, one end of each of said spacing-bars being supported on said ribs, and. a removable cover for each of said compartments adapted to be su )ported in position by said spacingbars; substantially as described.

3. In;a storage-battery, the combination with a casing provided with a plurality of compartments, of a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom of each of said. compartments, grids in each. of said compartments resting on said ribs, spacing-bars in each compartment between said grids, each of said spacing-bars being bifurcated at one end and adapted to straddle and be supported on said ribs and being provided at the other, end with a reduced portion 7 and shoulders 7, and a cover for each of said. compartments adapted to receive the reduced ends of said spacing-bars in said compartment and be supported upon said shoulders substantially as described.

4. In a storage-battery, the combination with a casing provided with a plurality of compartments, of a plurality of transverse ribs on the bottom of each of said coin 'mrtments, battery-members in each of said compartments resting'on said ribs, spacing bars firmly mounted in each of said compartments and extending between said grids, a cover for each of said compartments,each of said covers being rovided with an opening into the interior of its compartment, and a frame mounted on each of said covers around said openlng therein; substantially as describe 5. In a storage-battery the combinatio with a casing provided with a lurality of compartments, of a plurality of ribs in the bottom of each of said compartments, grids in each of said compartments resting on said ribs, a plurality of spacingbars firmly mounted in each of said compartments between said grids, a cover for transverse .of said several covers, and a separate frame resting on said sealing material and surrounding each of said openings therein; substantially as'described.

6. In a storage-battery, the combination with a casing provided with a plurality of compartments, of transverse ribs in the bottom of each of said compartments, a plurality of grids in each of said compartments resting on said ribs, a plurality of spacing-bars in each of said compartments between said grids, a cover for each of said compartments provided with an opening into the interior thereof, a hollow sleeve fitting in each of said openings, a layer of sealing material extendmg between the sides of said casing over said covers and around said sleeves, and a frame surrounding each of said sleeves and providing a basin therearound, said frames being embedded in and held in osition bysaid sealing material; substantia 1y as described. 7. In a storageebattery, the combination with a casing, of a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom thereof, a plurality of grids in said casing resting on said ribs, a plurality of spacing bars in said casing between said grids, each of said spacing-bars being bifur-- cated at one end and adapted to straddle and be supported on one of said ribs and being provided at the other end with a reduced portion 7 and shoulders 7, and a cover for said casing adapted to receive the reduced ends of said spacing-bars and be supported upon said shoulders; substantially as described.

8. A storage-battery comprising a casing,

a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom of said casing, a plurality of grids in said casing resting on said ribs, a plurality of spacingbars in said casing between said grids, a cover fitting in one side of said casing and provided with an opening into the interior thereof, a layer of sealing material extending between the sides of said casing over the nonperforated portion of said cover, and a frame surrounding said opening and providing a basin or concavity therearound, said frame being embedded in and held in position by said sealing material; substantially as described.

9. A storage-battery comprising a casing, a plurality of transverse ribs in the bottom of said casing, a plurality of grids in said casing resting on said ribs, a plurality of spacingbars in said casing between said grids, each of said spacing bars being bifurcated at one end and'adapted to straddle and be supported on one of said ribs and being provided at the other end with a reduced portion 7 and shoulders 7, a cover fitting in the open side of said casing and adapted to receive the reduced ends of said spacing-bars and be supported upon said shoulders, said cover being provided with an opening into the interior of said casing, a layer of sealing material extending between the sides of said casing over the non-perforated portion of said cover, and a frame on said seal and surrounding said 0 ening and providin a basin or concavity t erearound; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN STIRLEN.

WILLIAM GARDINER.

Witnesses:

JOHN BOYLE, SHEPARD R. EvANs. 

